Reprieve
by FLECHER
Summary: They've reached the base, where three will walk into the heart of hell; fate plays its subtle games with mere mortals - but they come out alive in the end. What else to do after that but clear the air? Continued from: Broken Unhappy and Faroff Things


**A continuation of "Broken, Unhappy and FarOff Things" - I suggest reading that before reading this.  
**

_I've cheated a bit by including the ending of ME2, but tweaked words because of my lack of word-for-word memory; and also made a point of Ashira's stamina and will to live. (When the will is **there** anyway)_

**There are links on my profile for Mass Effect related things, how Ash looks etc. She's very tall as well, muscular but lithe. **

_Hope you enjoy this._

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"Samara, Mordin." Ashira cocked her head, a subtle gesture for them both to climb up on the Collector platform with her. She had given her speech, did her best to boost their morale; before picking the two who would walk into the heart of hell with her.

As the rest looked up at her with a collective respect, she could still feel hints of doubt and fear in them. She could say little more to ease their fears, they had plenty stacked against them here. "Make me proud; make yourselves proud." She managed to smile, glancing at Mordin. "Hold the line."

Leaving Miranda and Garrus to work in tandem on directing the rest of the team, Mordin activated the control of their platform.

The following fight was brutal, the three working in near perfect sync as they had through the course of the mission to repel each wave of Collectors that came at them. Throughout their time together, Ashira had rarely switched up the squad unless a particular 'errand' was of personal interest to one of her team. The three worked very well together, knowing each others skills and abilities from experience.

Adrenaline pumped through Ashira's veins like a constant flow of icy venom, making her heart beat thunder in her ears and her breathing to quicken. Her focus and drive on killing every cursed foe they faced pushing her onwards, the slugs of her favoured gun tearing through their enemies; the revenant machine-gun.

They reached the main platform, where a wounded Collector was reaching for its gun. Ashira slammed her booted foot down on the back of its shoulder, and levelled her gun to the back of its head, burying several slugs deep into its flesh. Mordin quickly worked the control panel of the platform, and they started moving.

"EDI, any idea what we'll see in there?" Ashira's voice was cool and calm, despite the on edge look to her eyes. Part of her could tell that the battle was far from over, they weren't done yet; she would be surprised if there wasn't any more resistance from this point.

The AI's voice came through their comms, informing them of the size and power signatures coming from a super-structure in the room ahead of them; giving off both organic and synthetic signatures. EDI theorized it was a Reaper.

As they passed the threshold of the room, all three were stunned at the sight of the colossal structure hanging above them; tubes feeding into its form in several places. "A human-reaper…" Ashira muttered, staring at the thing in barely contained rage.

_This _is what the Collector's had been doing? Kidnapping their people, liquefying them _alive _and turning them into the very thing Ashira fought to obliterate from existence. Her hands tightened on her gun, this was the worst thing she had ever learnt, come to see, had to face.

Yet a sick feeling in her gut told her worse was to come when the Reapers got here.

"EDI, how do we destroy this…_thing_?" Ashira narrowed her eyes, turning as the trusted AI explained about the structural weaknesses; the tubes feeding the organic metal into its body. After that, all they had to do was overload the reactor and they would be ready to get the hell out of there.

The violent hum of insectoid wings warned the group of three, and they were quick to take cover among the assembled platforms. Another skirmish ensued from stragglers sneaking around the remaining team; they took shots at the exposed tubes when they could.

Eventually, as the last rain of shattered glass and globs of liquid metal fell, the human-reaper gave a groan of straining metal, and fell free of its framework. The drone of wings died with the last collector in their vicinity, and with an almighty crash, the reaper larva disappeared into the darkness below.

Ashira turned away, feeling around for the correct panel and eventually finding a handle. Lifting it up, the reactor was brought into view, and she started calibrating it.

"Hate to interrupt you Commander, but there's a call coming in from the Illusive Man, EDI'll patch it through," Joker's voice crackled slightly in their Comms.

Mordin and Samara exchanged a suspicious glance, why would he contact them _now_ of all times? The Salarian held out his arm - Omni-tool glowing into existence - both he and the Justicar watching the hologram appear pensively.

"Shepard, you've done the impossible," he sounded jovial.

The Commander scoffed, "I wasn't alone, in case you didn't notice," she glanced over her shoulder, nodding to Mordin and briefly locking eyes with Samara. She held the stare longer than she meant to; now wasn't the time. They had to get out of here alive. Ashira looked back to the reactor, "besides I'm not done yet; this place will be nothing but rubble and scrap metal when I'm done with it."

The Illusive Man was quick to voice his idea, his reason for calling her at this crucial moment. "Shepard, wait, if you activate a radiation purge, it'll kill all the remaining collectors, but it would leave the base and the technology intact!"

Ashira froze, a look of anger flashing through her eyes, she stood up and turned around to face him, her feelings on the suggestion very obvious. "Don't tell me you actually thought of that - this place is the very definition of abomination. They _liquefied _people! Turned them into something _horrible_! We're no better than the Collectors if we betray everyone who died here like that."

The man frowned deeply, "Shepard, think practically here, we need this technology to have any hope against the Reapers! Don't be short-sighted, we _need_ every possible edge, what better way than to use the Reaper's own resources against them?"

Ashira exhaled sharply, "screw you; we'll fight and win on our own terms. I won't let fear compromise who I am." She then turned away to the reactor again, working faster than before. "Ashira! Don't be foolish! Think about what's at stake - think of everything Cerberus has done for you! You-!"

Mordin smiled as he cut the Illusive man off, "lost connection; pity." He handed his clutch of grenades to Samara, swiftly moving to the edge of the platform they were on to look over the edge. He tapped swiftly across his Omni-tool. He was starting to get strange readings.

Samara knelt down, handing the first grenade to Ashira. "He will be less than pleased." Ashira shook her head, arming the grenades as they were passed to her, "I don't care what he thinks. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did anything else other than blow this base to hell. All he wants is Human _dominance_. I don't agree to those ideals…" a look of regret passed Ashira's face. "Makes me ashamed to be Human."

Not uttering another word, Ashira quickly slammed the reactor down, locking it in place. "We have ten minutes to get the hell out before this place blows!"

Mordin rushed back to the two, "Shepard, Samara; bad news. Readings coming from below, very dangerous; very big. Reaper not dead yet." They barely got time to react as the Reaper lifted itself up on the edges of the platform, giving a hollow, mechanical roar as it settled its glowing optics on the three insignificant organics in front of it.

They dived for cover. For a few moments, they frantically worked to get a shot in. Ashira directed them, remembering Kal'Reegar's "kill it with bug bites" idea from Haestrom. She was fairly sure this thing didn't fix itself without help from another.

She refused to believe they would die, she didn't care what she had to face next, what she had to do; she and everyone else along with her was going to live to tell about it. She was far beyond feeling fear at this point, giving an enraged scream above the nightmarish noise of the human-reaper and firing the Revenant's ignited slugs. They punched holes through the mechanical monster's vulnerable areas, and it started to pay off.

Against all odds, the Reaper began to crumble, fires spreading through its framework, arcs of electricity birthing from its heavily damaged eyes; the flames burst into explosions over its body, and it collapsed forwards, slamming into the platforms. It slipped off the side and fell below them, and for a moment, Ashira thought they were in the clear. The group moved back from the edge quickly, retreating from any further danger. But an explosion from the Reaper destructing rocked the platforms apart, throwing them all off balance.

The platform in front of them tilted violently, Ashira and Mordin managing to move back. "Samara!" Ashira felt her blood freeze upon realising the Justicar wasn't as 'safe' as them.

She grasped vainly for some kind of foot or handhold, scrabbling at the surface as she slid to the edge of the platform, seconds away from falling to her death. The soldier practically threw herself after Samara, reaching out to try and grab her hand.

As the squeal of metal twisting out of shape reverberated around them, Ashira grabbed tight hold of Samara's hand, and for a brief moment time was still, even if only a second; "I've got you!"

Then she slipped free. Ashira felt her heart clench in terror, another surge of adrenaline rushing through her system. She grabbed for the Justicar as she disappeared over the edge, and thanked whatever gods listened as her hand locked tightly around Samara's wrist; she held onto the soldier tight, looking up in surprise. After losing grip of the Commander's hand, she had been certain her fate was sealed; it clearly showed.

"Like hell I'm letting you die," Ashira muttered, her voice somehow carried to the Justicar through the noise around them. She pulled her up with ease, but that was mostly because the platform got struck by another in the chaotic storm of falling metal. The momentum threw all three across the platform, rolling towards the edge. But then they were struck again, and everything went dark with a massive crash.

...

...

...

Ashira opened her eyes by a crack, aware of the heavy weight atop her body. She realised she was face down on the ground, but where was she? How long had she been out? Had it all been just a ridiculous nightmare and she was in the wreckage of the Normandy somehow?

She pushed herself up, managing to shove the heavy metal sheet that had covered her. No; she could hear the distant droning of wings. She was still in the Collector base. Looking to her side, she noted Mordin, moving over to him quickly. Picking up the rubble that covered him, she tossed it aside; any one else wouldn't be able to move let alone lift heavy weights. She had several cracked - if not broken - ribs and was fairly sure she had pulled several muscles. Hell, if they got out of here alive, she might sleep for a week straight.

Mordin coughed, his eyes flickering a little before opening. "Survived?" he coughed, sitting up. "Interesting; story to tell in biography. Survived Reaper without help of ship fire."

Ashira shook her head, and looked aside, she froze momentarily open realising the prone form on her side was Samara. Rushing over she pulled the Justicar onto her back, shaking her lightly. For a moment, she was worried Samara wouldn't wake, but her eyes opened sharply, blinking a few times. She looked surprised to be alive after what just happened.

They had just cheated death in so many ways in the space of a five minutes; fate or just blind luck?

Ashira managed a smile, but her brief moment of relief was ruined as she turned away, coughing. Speckles of blood marked the stone beneath her. Growling, she wiped her mouth; it was getting harder to breathe. Pain was starting to make itself known through the dying ebbs of adrenaline still in her system.

"Come on, we have to go - _now!_" getting them both to their feet, they began to race through the halls and crumbling corridors of the Collector base. Joker and EDI worked furiously to guide them through, noting that everyone else was alive and waiting on board. They were going to make it.

Ashira grit her teeth, she stopped and turned, firing at the swarms following them with the Revenant to give Samara and Mordin a few precious seconds. She could afford it, she had more stamina than them. Seeing them ahead of her, Ashira started running again, the Revenant holstered on her shoulder as she sprinted after the pair.

Bullets flew overhead as more and more Collector's flooded through to try and stop them.

They entered into a giant cavern, parts of the ceiling falling and crushing Collector's trying to get close. Over the rise, the whine of engines echoed loudly and the Normandy came into sight.

Ashira managed a cold smile, as Joker came into view and started shooting at any Collector's he could get at his range. Both Samara and Mordin had the advantage of ease, a well placed platform allowing them easy passage onto the Normandy.

But fate wanted to play one final trick on the injured Commander Shepard.

As more parts of the ceiling came crashing down, a heavy strip of metal plating speared the platform, knocking it down with earth shattering force. It pushed the Normandy back, and made a considerable gap between the edge of the ridge and the open airlock.

Ashira grit her teeth, and forced her burning muscles to work harder, pumping her legs. She wouldn't die; she refused to die. She had defied everyone, everything by doing what she had done here; no way in hell was she going to let herself be defeated at the last moment.

The Soldier was spurred on, feeling the eyes of Joker, Mordin and Samara on her, watching with baited breath as she reached the edge of the ridge, and jumped.

Time almost seemed frozen as she flew through the air, reaching out for the edge of the ship, a hand, anything to stop her from falling into the heartless abyss below.

She slammed into the edge of the airlock, grasping at it as the Collector's continued to fire at her. Samara was quick to lean down, grabbing Ashira and pulling her up into the ship with them. The airlock slid shut once they were inside.

Ashira stumbled, falling against the closed airlock and hacking violently. She covered her mouth, but blood leaked between her fingers. "Mordin…Samara!" she coughed, her vision blurring. The two turned just in time to see Ashira collapse.

"Detonation in ten, nine, eight-" EDI's voice echoed throughout the ship. Joker rushed into the cockpit, discarding his rifle. "Yeah I get the gist of it EDI! Everyone hold on!"

The engines of the Normandy squealed against the cacophony of destruction outside, the sleek ship navigating its way through the crumbling base as explosions began to pepper its entire structure. The ship roared free of the Collector base, trying to put as much distance between them and the imminent explosion.

A flash went off, and then the real explosion shattered the base like a fragile glass statue. The blast wave following screamed up behind the Normandy, threatening to destroy them even as it barely managed to reach them.

Samara had sunk down against the wall, deliberately with her back to the cockpit because the kinetic force of the blast would've thrown her forwards otherwise. Ashira was slumped in her arms, eyes only open by slits with her back against the Justicar. Mordin had braced himself against the same wall, giving a dose of medi-gel to the soldier to keep her from slipping off too deep.

Joker gave an elated yell all of a sudden from his seat, "we did it! And we're alive too!" he cheered, turning his chair around to grin at them. But it was replaced by a serious look of concern upon seeing the Commander passed out like that. "Commander?" there was blood escaping the side of her mouth.

Mordin smiled harmlessly, "should be okay, will treat her once she's moved to medical bay, or maybe Dr Chakwas can take look. Either way; she'll live. Focus on getting out of Collector space, yes?" he turned back to Samara, nodding to her as they lifted the Commander up and started carrying her away.

Joker nodded absently, frowning in worry. He grit his teeth and turned back to the controls. EDI 'looked' towards him from her holographic projection. "The Commander will be fine, Jeff."

Joker smiled a little, "yeah, I'm sure she will be."

_- One Week Later -_

Things had been strangely quiet since the mission. Perhaps 'strangely' because she had grown used to the rushed pace of their preparations leading up to the assault.

However, Samara welcomed the peace, it was calming after such a mission; and it gave her time to think.

Her blood had turned to ice when the Commander had jumped, a million what if's all ending in Ashira's painful and gruesome demise at Collector hands. Then again, if the fall didn't kill her, the explosion certainly would have before the Collector's could have done anything to her.

She shook her head, losing her concentration; the sphere she was maintaining dissipated and the glow of her eyes faded.

She had believed she was going to die on those platforms, fall off the edge into the endless shadows below. But Ashira has looked so determined, and so terrified; she had refused to give up at any point. _"Like hell I'm letting you die."_

A faint smile came to her lips, at least there was something good to come out this. Aside from their victory of course. Ashira's will to live had been rekindled. But the thought that bothered her so was that it might only be because of _her_.

For once, she didn't know what to make of her feelings. Part of her, the side so used to her self-control, and lack of anything to call her own, resolutely fought against the _other_ part of her. The part that wanted to admit it all, to give in.

This wasn't right, how could Ashira have had such a conflicting effect on her?

"You know, I would've liked to wake up to a prettier face. Not trying to insult Dr. Chakwas of course."

Samara froze, and looked over her shoulder with a guarded stare.

Ashira stood in the threshold, hunched over ever so slightly as if a nagging pain bit at her middle, but leaning against the doorway. There was a slight smile on her lips. She walked in, and settled down in the seat nearest to Samara, she couldn't quite handle the bending down to sit on the ground; her ribs were still cracked. "Just finished telling the Illusive Man what I thought of him; we won't be talking anymore."

Samara shook her head, "I would not have expected anything else. You did the right thing; he believes he has the wisdom to utilize that base. But he does not," a slight tone of scorn entered her voice, but it was gone just as quick. It was people like the Illusive Man who gave Humans a bad reputation.

Ashira was the opposite, a good heart, but wounded; she had seen enough darkness so that naiveté didn't come into things. She was a good person regardless.

The Commander looked out at the endless expanse of stars beyond the window. "Listen, about that night, before we entered the relay…"

Samara got to her feet, but didn't look at Ashira. "What of it?" her tone was even but cool.

Ashira frowned deeply, and stood up, managing to stand straight. She stepped in front of the Justicar, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Don't do that, please, not to me. Is it so terrible to feel _something_?" she tilted her head, ignoring the pain in her chest, she could bare standing straight for this. Ashira slowly moved her arm, wrapping it around Samara's waist, and leaned in to whisper once more. "Are you so sure that it won't work when you should realise I would do anything and everything to make sure it does? Don't you think I know it would be difficult?" she turned her head, slowly placing feather-light kisses along Samara's jaw. "Nothing worth having ever comes easily. I want no one else, please, give this a chance," her voice lowered, "you don't have to be alone anymore."

Samara was quiet, closing her eyes in a look of deeply conflicted thought. Ashira took a small amount of comfort from the fact that she hadn't been pushed away, After a few moments of uneasy silence, Ashira leaned close, placing soft kisses at the corner of Samara's mouth, until their lips met once more. Her eyes remained shut, but her frown deepened; as much as she wanted to struggle, the strength to do so failed her there.

She wrapped her arms around the soldier, returning her kiss with a sudden fire that took Ashira by surprise; if only for a second. The embrace was passionate, a mix of pent-up emotions rushing out and overwhelming them both.

If not for the sudden spike of pain from Samara tightening her arms around her, Ashira would have happily gone further. She pulled away though, bowing her head against the confused Justicar's shoulder with her teeth clenched. After a few seconds, she simply muttered the word "ribs". Ashira swallowed, lifting her head to lock eyes with Samara; her gaze was unreadable. A myriad of emotions, conflict, frantic thought behind them. Ashira tried to give a reassuring smile, hoping it would do _something_ to calm the other.

Samara finally averted her eyes, "Ashira, please give me some time to think about this. Maybe-" she shook her head, looking back at the soldier again. "Maybe there is a way."

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**There'll be a follow-up of this in the shape of another oneshot. I know I probably should have put them all together in a short fic but...I find this easier and better suited to the way I'm writing these particular pieces. **

_Reviews will be much appreciated! Thank you for reading!_


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